The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for transferring photographic film in a lighttight manner between a photographic apparatus wherein the film is exposed and a film processing station whereat the film is to be processed. More specifically, it relates to apparatus and method which allow a film unit to be shuttled in a lighttight manner between a camera, wherein the unit can be automatically exposed, and a processing station, whereat, after every exposure, individual film units are ejected in order to initiate the film developing process in a film processor.
Heretofore, different approaches have been proposed for exposing film in a lighttight film holder and transferring the same from a camera to a processing station. One early approach used a lighttight container carrying a plurality of film units which were exposed one at a time. The container included an exposure opening and an associated dark slide between the opening and a topmost film unit for preventing against inadvertent exposure. The dark slide was manually removed from the container for allowing film exposure, and then reinserted manually for covering the film against exposure prior to the film container being removed from the camera.
Another known approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,798, wherein a stack of individual film units of the self-developable type are contained in a cartridge and a dark slide is interposed between an exposure aperture of the cartridge and the topmost film unit of the stack. The dark slide is mechanically reciprocated to an external position relative to the cartridge, whereat the film unit is unblocked for exposure, and the slide is returned to its original position, but behind the forwardmost film unit of the stack.
Still another known approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,731; wherein there is disclosed a manually portable film holder and a separate envelope or dark slide that allows a single photosensitive film unit to be handled in ambient light without being exposed as it is inserted into or withdrawn from the film holder. In particular, both the envelope and film unit are insertable into the holder and the envelope can be removed while the holder retains the film unit for exposure. Following film unit exposure, the envelope is reinserted into the holder to cover the exposed film unit and to facilitate film removal from the holder in a lighttight manner. Other known approaches for exposing a film unit in a lighttight film holder are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,804,989; 4,833,493; and, 4,903,063.
While the above approaches are satisfactory, they do not provide methods and apparatus wherein individual ones of, preferably, a plurality of film units carried in a film holder can be exposed automatically, one at a time, in a camera and then transferred in a lighttight manner to a processor for allowing sequential removal of exposed film units; whereupon the film holder can be returned to the camera for exposure of another film.